The unofficial second half began Friday as the St. Louis Cardinals got back into action following the All Star Break. But trade season is also officially underway, and the Cards are looking to improve so they can make another run at the postseason.

Lance Berkman is due to come off the disabled list this weekend while the team is in Cincinnati, making the lineup and bench whole for the first time in months. Obviously, upgrading the pitching staff is now the most logical move for the Cardinals—especially in the wake of losing both Chris Carpenter and Kyle McClellan for the season, and having no idea when they’ll see Jaime Garcia again. The debate on who to go after could be endless: Top of the rotation guy? Innings-eater? Closer? LOOGY? Middle reliever? All of the above? Regardless, you have to give up something to get something as the old saying goes. And the Cards have some depth. They have guys they can deal.

This list is by no means easy to compile. And the number of players going each way is a huge factor. John Mozeliak may end up packaging one group of players to acquire another group of players like he did for the Colby Rasmus trade in 2011, or he could do a one-for-one swap. So I’m compiling a list, and it is by no means comprehensive. But since the Cards need to add to their pitching staff, I’m going to avoid designating pitchers on the active roster as “expendable”—even though a guy like Fernando Salas seems to be as far from “untouchable” as a reliever can get. And if they had a better relief option in the minors, that guy would be up…he wouldn’t be trade bait either. Are there better starters than Jake Westbrook out there? Of course. But anyone who thinks the Cards are going to be able to trade him for Cole Hamels is quite obviously hoarding all the good drugs.

So we’ll focus on position players, and pitchers not currently on the 25-man roster. I think you might know who I’m talking about. Again, there might be 50 players in the entire organization the Cards could do without, but players off the 40-man roster without name recognition—or players on it with no real upside—aren’t likely to bring much of a return. Anyway…my list:

Tyler Greene (2B, SS) – Shocking his name would pop up on this list, eh? Greene has been given every opportunity to stick with the big club. At first, we all thought it was nerves playing for Tony La Russa. Well, La Russa is gone. And the Cards are getting the same old, same old from Greene. One concession: he’s never gotten a legitimate chance as a shortstop, his natural position. Perhaps that’s the best reason of all to trade him. His value may not be much, but packaging him could help yield the Cards a player who can be consistently productive…something they probably will never see from Tyler Greene.

Shane Robinson (OF) – Sugar Shane has done everything asked of him: start, come off the bench, pinch hit, pinch run, you name it. He may never be a great player, but he is a good player and could have a role with any club as a fourth outfielder. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have like three other guys that can fill that role right now. Robinson is the classic odd man out, and he may benefit from more time in AAA. But he still retains some upside for any club, and would be a good addition to a package deal for an impact arm.

Matt Adams (1B) – He’s the Brett Wallace of 2012, except Adams can actually move. He’s blocked six ways from Sunday at 1st base, and that happens to be the only position he can play. If the Cards don’t have Carlos Beltran next year, I think Adams’ value is a little higher because Allen Craig would likely be needed in right field. He may anyway after Beltran leaves. But at this point, Adams’ trade value is pretty high, and may not get much higher.

Bryan Anderson (C) or Steven Hill (C) – The Cardinals are good behind the plate. Yadier Molina is obviously here to stay, and Tony Cruz is more than capable as a backup. And if he isn’t, backup catchers aren’t real tough to find. Anderson has never developed into what some thought he could be, and Hill is just a tic ahead of him offensively. Neither has a ton of value alone, but a team looking for catching depth may be interested in one of them as part of a package.

Brandon Dickson (RHP) – Dickson has some experience at the big league level and has some upside. Where he projects in a given rotation is anyone’s guess, but pitching is always at a premium and the Cardinals have enough organizational depth to dangle Dickson for a team looking for a young arm.

Shelby Miller (RHP) – This one is tough to swallow. Miller has been perceived as untouchable since he was drafted in 2009. And his struggles in 2012 are no reason to give up on him. But again—in order to get something, you have to give up something. The real, logical reasons Miller can be deemed expendable are: A) the emergence of Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly as viable rotation options, and B) the depth behind Miller in Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal, and John Gast (among others). Trading Miller is not a must—the Cardinals could do a lot worse than holding on to him—but in terms of upside and ceiling equating to trade value, Miller may be the best chip the Cardinals currently hold.

Again, this list is far from complete. If they go after a second baseman, for instance, maybe Daniel Descalso becomes expendable. But aside from the unlikely hypotheticals, the Cards have pieces to move and they have the motivation to once again win now. That should equal an intriguing trade season for the defending World Champs.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter @Birdbrained.

A team focused on a youth movement acquires a player in his own “rebuild” mode. Jonathan Broxton is going to wear Royal Blue in 2012.

Broxton has seen his share of down times in the last few years but many teams see him as a legit answer to the back end of bullpen issues. In an effort to maximize his future payday, Broxton was on the market looking for a one year deal to allow him to rebuild some value and seek a longer, more lucrative contract, in the near future.

While Broxton’s 2011 was cut short by injury, his arrival on the scene in 2006 showed sure dominance. A fireballer out of the bullpen, Broxton opened his first full career season by striking out 97 hitters in just 76 1/3 innings. His rise came quickly and he would find himself in the All Star game in 2009 and 2010. A lifetime strikeout to walk ratio of 3.09 shows a guy that is going to force hitters to beat him.

The Broxton signing will leave fans to wonder what the future holds for closer Joakim Soria. In my opinion, you will see Broxton setting up Soria and one or the other being used as trade bait near the deadline if they are both performing. Soria has team options stacked up for 2013 and 2014, making him the more attractive piece to other teams, but also making him the more valuable piece to the Royals.

Broxton will get $4 million for the 2012 campaign, including $1 million dollars in incentives based on games pitched, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com who broke the news.

I must admit, Dayton Moore is showing signs of making some good moves in my opinion this off season. His next few moves may be the big ones that everyone is waiting for.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

The official Press Release from the Royals is below:

KANSAS CITY, MO (November 29, 2011) – The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has agreed to terms with right-handed relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton on a one-year Major League contract for the 2012 season, pending a physical exam. Consistent with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We are delighted to add someone as talented as Jonathan to our bullpen,” Royals GM Dayton Moore said. “He will be used in a set up role to closer Joakim Soria and will help solidify what we feel is a young and talented bullpen.”

The 27-year-old Broxton was a two-time National League All-Star (2009, 2010) while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, including picking up the save for the National League in the 2010 Midsummer Classic in Anaheim. Since debuting in 2005 for the Dodgers, Broxton has compiled a 25-20 record with 84 saves and a 3.19 ERA in 386 appearances, all in relief. In 392.0 career innings, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has struck out 503, a ratio of 11.55 strikeouts per nine innings which is the third-highest in baseball since 2005 among pitchers with at least 350 innings. Broxton was 1-2 with seven saves and a 5.68 ERA in just 14 games for the Dodgers in 2011 before being placed on the Disabled List on May 6 with bone spurs in his right elbow that eventually required arthroscopic surgery on September 19.

Broxton and his wife, Elizabeth, have a son, Jonathan Brooks, and reside in Waynesboro, Ga.

Colby Rasmus’ name keeps surfacing as potential trade bait dangled by the Cardinals. Heath Bell is one of several interesting players on a team going nowhere. Would the Cardinals and Padres swing a deal?

Bernie Miklasz dropped this paragraph into his 14 July article.

Let’s face it: Rasmus is Mozeliak’s most attractive trade chip. But it would be asinine to give Rasmus away in a fit of impatience. It would be stupid to hand Rasmus away for a summer rental – a pending free agent like Heath Bell.

Bell is the highest paid San Diego Padre, and is indeed in the last year of his contract. He has also expressed an interest in returning to the Padres after this season regardless of whether or not he is traded, and speculation abounds he might take a below-market deal specifically so he could do that. Bernie Miklasz is 100% correct – trading Rasmus to San Diego for Bell would be foolhardy. The Cardinals would only have Bell in the fold for two months, and despite the best efforts of Cardinal Nation, Bell really connects in San Diego, a military town (Bell’s dad is a former Marine).

There are two other bullpen arms in San Diego widely rumored to be available, namely Chad Qualls and Mike Adams. Should GM John Mozeliak consider either of these players instead of Bell? Qualls, long familiar to Cardinal fans after his years in Houston, has been a solid member of the Padres bullpen in 2011. He is also a free agent at season’s end; if the team is unwilling to give Rasmus to San Diego for (statistically) the best closer in the National League they certainly won’t do it for Qualls, just another middle reliever at this point in his career.

Mike Adams is a slightly different story, largely because he has one more year of arbitration before he becomes a free agent. Adams has closer stuff, and has been the best and most reliable arm out of the Padre bullpen. Adams’ ERA+ of 272 easily outdistances Bell’s 148. We all know how badly the Cardinals could use a reliable arm at the back of their bullpen. Eduardo Sanchez and Fernando Salas have done well in the late innings, but both are rookies. Additionally Sanchez experienced arm fatigue bad enough to send him to the DL, while Salas has looked a little shaky in his last few appearances before the All-Star Break. All of that makes Adams attractive.

It would seem unlikely Mozeliak will make that move. First, like Qualls, Adams is 32 (Bell is 33). Second, he’s never closed at the major league level. Third, there is a history of arm trouble in his past. Fourth, and probably most important, the one position San Diego has significant depth at is outfield. Not counting Ryan Ludwick – another trade possibility who likely won’t be in San Diego come August first – the Padres boast a budding All-Star in Cameron Maybin, as well as Will Venable and Chris Denorfia on the major league roster. In the high minors they have several OF who could step in, including Aaron Cunningham, Kyle Blanks, Eric Patterson and Cedric Hunter. San Diego has several positions with a dearth of depth in their minor league system, most notably second base and shortstop. Outfield is not one of them. Why would Padres GM Jed Hoyer acquire another player for an already overcrowded position?

Of course, these facts that did not stop SI’s Jon Heyman from speculating Thursday on local San Diego sportsradio about rumors he’s heard regarding an Adams for Rasmus deal.

While the Cardinals will likely bolster their bullpen at the deadline, and while San Diego has the second-best bullpen in the NL at the break, St Louis would be silly to trade Colby Rasmus to San Diego to get one of those arms. Colby Rasmus will not be a San Diego Padre.

Entrenched at first base for the last seven seasons in St. Louis has been Cardinal mainstay Albert Pujols. The year in and year our MVP candidate has been producing at such a high clip for such a long time, Cardinal fans are shocked when they don’t see him in the line-up.

The production is impressive. What is perhaps more impressive is the ability to put up the numbers at such a consistent rate. At the beginning of 2010 though, onlookers were wondering if there was something wrong with Albert. He entered into one of his worst droughts at the plate in his career this summer, was swinging at more pitchers outside the zone, and overall did not look like he was totally locked in at the plate. All that being said, Pujols still had people talking Triple Crown as he and Cincinnati slugger Joey Votto were hunting for it in August.

It may seem have seemed like a down year for Albert. He did strikeout at a 12.9% clip, his highest since his rookie year but still has some of the best plate discipline in the league. His power was right in line with his career averages. He led the National League in home runs (42), runs batted in (118), runs scored (115), and intentional walks (38). He even socked his 400^th career home run on August 26^th. Just for kicks, you can see a tracker of every home run Pujols has hit here.

Pujols did have a career low .312 batting average in 2010 but had his best year in fielding percentage only making 4 errors and is a candidate for his second gold glove award. Pujols only took 5 games off this season. In his stead, Allen Craig played 5 games (17 innings) and Mark Hamilton played 4 games (21 innings). Neither player can count on seeing much time at the bag in the future as long as Albert stays healthy. They both have proved themselves at the AAA level and do serve as serviceable back-ups or perhaps trade bait for other clubs. Hamilton hit .298 with 18 HR and 60 RBI at Memphis in 2010. Craig saw more time with the parent club, playing more in the outfield, in his first 124 Major League at-bats he hit .246 with 4 HR and 18 RBI, in his other 350 at-bats at AAA, Craig produced at his normal clip of .320/14/81. With his versatility to play the outfield and more major league ready bat Craig seemed to establish himself as the back up at the first base slot for the Redbirds in 2010.

The Redbirds currently have one who will be no doubt be recorded as the best Cardinal’s first basemen of all-time. Albert Pujols continues to produce and overall enjoyed another great year in 2010.